IRAQ will not back down from a decision to dissolve the country`s Olympic Committee even if it leads to its football team being thrown out of the World Cup.Football`s world governing body FIFA had written to the Iraqi government asking for clarification of its decision last week to disband the Iraqi Olympic Committee and sports federations.
"We have received a letter from FIFA regarding the participation of Iraq in the World and Asian soccer competition," Sports Minister Jasem Mohammed Jaafar said in an interview.
News reports say FIFA has threatened to ban the Iraqi national team from competition, including qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, because of the government`s move.
The spat has raised questions over Iraq`s next World Cup qualifier against Australia in Brisbane on June 1.
Iraq is bottom of Asian qualifying Group 1 with one point from two games.
Iraq`s participation in the Beijing Olympics in August has also been thrown into doubt.
"We have replied to them (FIFA) in a formal letter yesterday, telling them that the disbanding ... doesn`t cover the sports federations in which the soccer federation is included," Jaafar said.
"If FIFA insists on banning Iraq from participating in the next World Cup competition, the government won`t pull back from its decision ... for the sake of a football match."
The government`s announcement last week said the cabinet had decided to halt the work of the executive committee of the Iraqi Olympic Committee "and all its federations", implying that all sports would be affected.
The government said the Iraqi Olympic Committee was illegitimate because it lacked a quorum and had failed to hold new elections.
Iraq planned to send a small team to compete in the Beijing Games despite violence that has killed more than 100 athletes in the country since the 2003 US-led invasion.
Reuters
